Photography is exhausting, and quite possibly my favorite moment as a mom

Both of my sisters are children’s photographers, and they either have the patience of saints or they’re totally holding out on me. How do I know this? Because I *cannot* take a picture of a constantly moving toddler. I mean, seriously?

We even bought a fancy new camera when Peaches was born, anticipating that we would need a quicker piece of technology than our archaic point and shoot. However, I am now convinced they don’t make cameras that are quick enough to take pictures of Molly. The girl has the quickest smile and shortest attention span of any toddler ever to have her picture taken. I try to take pictures some mornings of Molly before school and I usually end up with the back of her head or a serious blur as she moves at lightning speed towards the camera. Last weekend, we tried to take some pictures for our Christmas card (I can’t not send my own photo cards after we make really pretty ones for other people, right?!) and out of the 300 pictures, there are maybe two that I would consider using. If we can’t get any other good ones in the next week or so.

Experts say to take a child’s picture in the morning or right after nap, or whenever your child is happiest. Well, at our house, the camera is the fastest way to make sure Molly is UNhappy, regardless of whether she just woke up, ate or saw her Dad’s car pull in the driveway.

Just for fun, here are some outtakes from our Christmas card photo session:

BUT, I’ll take 299 of those pictures. Heck, I’ll even take 999 of those pictures if it means I get ONE like this:

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This evening, Jim, Molly and I stopped for a quick dinner on our way home from paying a visit to Beverly, Benjamin and Addison. Molly was super-sweet (as always) at dinner and when it was time to leave the restaurant, I got her out of the highchair and Jim grabbed her hand to walk her to the sidewalk. As I was giving the table one last glance, I looked up and saw the most perfect thing ever. Molly was holding Jim’s hand and turned towards me with her other hand out, waiting for me.

I *love* being her mother. Just when I think this motherhood gig can’t get any better, she does something so simple and sweet – like waiting to hold my hand – that makes me want to stop doing everything else and just gobble her up.

3 Responses

It is amazing! I love it even on the hard days. Molly is so cute! It takes me about a million pics to get a few good ones too. Plus, I think they know when they are dressed up that means it’s even more important so they act even crazier for the picture. Evie has started looking at the camera after each pic to see how she looks.

Like father like daughter! Jim would always try to hide behind a chair, car, person, bush…whatever he could find to get out of the picture. It was all the more rewarding when we could finally get a picture.

On another note…it may work to just shoot short video clips instead of trying to get that one special elusive picture. You can capture a frame of any part of the video clip for a single picture.

Hi, found your blog on the wordpress homepage…
I have a toddler too, and have a hard time getting her picture. Thank goodness I have a 9month old who will sit still (but that is going to end soon) to satisfy my photography wishes.

I have come to appreciate and love the ‘outtakes’ almost more than the smiling head on shot. The bottom right picture in your collage is my favorite. when they are older, they will have the pictures of themselves.. being themselves! instead of the posed portraits of their face.

Do you go out and take the pictures yourself? I have found when I want the ‘smile your best smile directly at my lens’ shot, I enlist the help of a Dad, or a friend… I can’t get the smile and take the picture all at the same time.